Birth Defects News and Research

RSS

Harmful toxins found in food may put developing babies at risk

Pregnant women regularly consume food and beverages containing toxins believed to pose potential risks to developing fetuses, according to researchers at the University of California in Riverside and San Diego, suggesting that health care providers must do more to counsel their patients about the dangers of hidden toxins in the food supply.

8 Aug 2013

Sequenom CMM, CombiMatrix sign collaboration agreement to market CMA testing for NIPT

Sequenom, Inc., a life sciences company providing innovative diagnostic testing and genetic analysis solutions, and CombiMatrix Corporation, a molecular diagnostics laboratory performing DNA-based testing services for developmental disorders and cancer, today jointly announced that the Sequenom Center for Molecular Medicine LLC and CombiMatrix have entered into a collaboration agreement to market chromosomal microarray analysis testing services to broaden and confirm the results of noninvasive, prenatal testing to physicians and their patients.

1 Aug 2013

Researchers study how human herpes virus packages genetic information during infection

An international collaboration of researchers including Felicia Goodrum of the University of Arizona's immunobiology department has studied how a human herpes virus carried by the majority of the population packages its genetic information during infection.

31 Jul 2013

Celgene to discontinue treatment with REVLIMID in phase III ORIGIN trial

Celgene Corporation today announced that after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Celgene will discontinue treatment with REVLIMID (lenalidomide) in the open-label, phase III ORIGIN trial, which enrolled 450 patients in over 100 sites in 26 countries.

18 Jul 2013

Children exposed to AEDs in womb at risk of early development issues: Study

Children whose mothers took antiepileptic drugs while pregnant are at increased risk of early development issues, according to a new study published in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

18 Jul 2013

Phase III study: REVLIMID meets primary endpoint in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma

Celgene International Sàrl, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, today announced that its phase III study (MM-020/IFM 07-01) of REVLIMID (lenalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival.

11 Jul 2013

Consanguineous marriages and older mothers increase risk of birth anomalies in children

Marriage between first cousins can more than double the risk of giving birth to a baby with a congenital anomaly (eg, heart and lung defects, Down syndrome), although the absolute risk is low, according to a multiethnic study of more than 11300 babies from the city of Bradford in the UK, published in The Lancet.

5 Jul 2013

Research highlights main factors associated with increased risk of babies born with birth defect

New research, published today in The Lancet, highlights important information for health professionals and parents about the factors which may increase the likelihood of a baby being born with a birth defect.

4 Jul 2013

UCSF scientists explore how Dact1 mutations contribute to psychiatric disorders

Gene mutations that cause cell signaling networks to go awry during embryonic development and lead to major birth defects may also cause subtle disruptions in the brain that contribute to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder, according to new research by UC San Francisco scientists.

25 Jun 2013

CSHL scientists solve the mystery of why some infants born with grave syndrome

By identifying a protein that acts as a genetic modifier, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have solved the mystery of why some infants are born with a grave syndrome consisting of cleft palate and major deformities of the skin and limbs, while other infants bearing the same predisposing genetic mutation bear little or no sign of the illness, called EEC.

14 Jun 2013

Discovery sheds new light on causes of debilitating diseases and birth defects

Danish researchers have just published findings that explain a previously unknown mechanism used by cells to communicate with one another. The research significantly contributes to understanding why some children are born with malformations and why children and adults may develop life-threatening diseases.

10 Jun 2013

March of Dimes, Ohio research centers and hospitals establish new research program to prevent preterm birth

Three major Ohio universities and four hospitals have joined with the March of Dimes Foundation to establish a new collaborative research program aimed exclusively at finding the unknown causes of premature birth.

22 May 2013

Scientists detect high levels of uranium contamination that increases cancers, birth defects in Iraq

Ten years after the Iraq war of 2003 a team of scientists based in Mosul, northern Iraq, have detected high levels of uranium contamination in soil samples at three sites in the province of Nineveh which, coupled with dramatically increasing rates of childhood cancers and birth defects at local hospitals, highlight the ongoing legacy of modern warfare to civilians in conflict zones.

21 May 2013

More than 80% of parents, grandparents prefer hospital that does medical research about children: Study

Four out of five parents and grandparents in Michigan say they'd rather take children to a hospital that does medical research for children than one that does not, according to a new poll from the University of Michigan.

14 May 2013

RA, anti-TNF drugs and abortion rates: an interview with Dr. Evelyne Vinet and Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, McGill University

Prednisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used for symptom control, but to prevent joint damage, we use disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including the cornerstone, methotrexate.

13 May 2013

Cannibalistic tadpole may play role in understanding evolution, development of digestive organs

A carnivorous, cannibalistic tadpole may play a role in understanding the evolution and development of digestive organs, according to research from North Carolina State University.

9 May 2013

FDA: Migraine prevention medicines taken during pregnancy can impact children’s IQ

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care providers and patients that medications including and related to valproate sodium can cause decreased IQ scores in children whose mothers took the medication during pregnancy.

7 May 2013

TSRI scientists find dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes

Solving the structure of a critical human molecule involved in cancer, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found what they call a good example of structural conservation-dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes.

2 May 2013

Montefiore Medical Center professor debunks few beauty claims for pregnant women

Moms of the four million babies born each year in the United States face many claims surrounding their beauty regimens during pregnancy. While some beauty practices should be avoided, there are many solutions for women concerned about whether beauty products could be harmful to their unborn child.

26 Apr 2013

New partnership to introduce advanced genetic testing technologies to Turkey

BGI Health and ACIBADEM Healthcare Group Genetic Diagnostic Center in cooperation with Genoks Company Molecular Biology, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for jointly introducing the advanced genetic testing technologies to Turkey and improving Turkish reproductive healthcare.

17 Apr 2013